The people of Sheffield are what they have
always been - people who work hard and play hard, people who can
endure the hard times and make the most of the good times, people
who are not convinced by hype and razamataz.
In medieval
times the city was founded on gritstone and steel.
It endured
for centuries on this sure foundation.
Grit and steel are our
heritage, they are part of who we are.
Grit and steel can seem
gray and dead, but together they spark fire.
Like Sheffield and
its people, they are strong and can endure.
Where are the sparks now?
As always, in the people and their industry.
All over this city independent people are using their skills and
their imagination - their vision
Their aim: to forge a new Sheffield just as our predecessors forged the city's fortunes from grit and steel.
We
don't hear much about them.
We just see another small work unit
go up.
What do they do in there? It's a mystery.
The people inside are too hard at work to tell
us their stories.
Do they - do you - know that
their work and enterprise, their commitment to quality - make this
city what it always was - a
CITY OF WORK as well as play.
They deserve recognition, they deserve to be
included in the expanding identity of this city - its "image".
www.Sheffield.co.uk and the websites to which it gives access is an attempt to
give them this recognition. Use it. Use it to explore what Sheffield has
to offer. Use it as a magical mystery tour of the best kept secret
in the country -
Sheffield industry is alive and still working in its best tradition of quality and commitment.
The city of "The Full Monty"? yes, but not of the decay that film evokes. The City of the
determination of its people to overcome their disadvantages. That's why the decay portrayed in the movie is a thing of the past.
The traditional industries remain but in the 21st Century their new focus is
on addressing quality and specialist markets with highest quality cutlery, silver flatware and hollow-ware, medical equipment, pewterware, special steels, tools.
To those are added a hidden army of
thousands of 21st century computer workers developing the computer software the world's future economy will rely on.
And you may have known that Sheffield is a leading
centre for Rock climbers with our proximity to the Peak District, but did you appreciate
how that has spun off into our commercial climbing walls, climbing and outdoor equipment manufacturers
and retailers, Mountaineering holiday specialists and Roped Access specialists?
